Mikie Sherrill has taken office as governor at a time when New Jersey faces significant economic hurdles — the state’s gross domestic product lags behind much of the nation, and its job market is slowing.
The Garden State’s economy grew 3.4% in the third quarter of 2025, better than only five other states and Washington. And New Jersey ended 2025 with a gain of 9,000 jobs — down from 39,200 in 2024 and 64,200 in 2023, government figures show.
Sherrill, who was sworn in Jan. 20, ran a campaign focused on affordability, after New Jerseyans were socked with 40-year-high inflation following the COVID-19 pandemic…
And the problems may not be unique to New Jersey, said Will Irving, a professor at the New Jersey State Policy Lab at Rutgers University.
“I would not be surprised to see other states start to experience rapid increases as employment growth nationally continues to slow and/or decline,” he said in an email.
The Daily Journal, January 29, 2026